With the massive amount of patent cases that
Apple has filed against its competitors, many in the industry are
getting a slight chuckle out this story: Apple will pay Swiss rail
operator, SBB, 20 million Swiss francs ($20.27 million) as
compensation for the company’s use of the
operator’s popular clock without permission in its iOS 6
program.

Apple has agreed to pay $21 million to SBB
for using its clock without permission. (Image via: ibnlive.in.com)

Background

The story starts back in September.
That’s when rail operator spokeswoman Patricia Claivaz
told AFP that SBB wanted to meet with the U.S. tech giant to
discuss why they were using the operator’s famous clock
on one of its new iOS 6 apps without proper authorization.

Specifically, Ms. Claivaz said at the time that
the SBB was interested in clearing up where and how Apple could use
their clock, as opposed to going after the company for all the
money they could get.

The settlement

Last month, after a series of meetings between
the two companies, Apple agreed to pay SBB a $21 million lump sum
as part of a licensing agreement which would allow the continued
use of SBB’s station clock on its iPads and iPhones.

Such a quick settlement suggests a few things.
For one, it means that Apple probably didn’t want to run
the risk of a sales ban in Switzerland, or otherwise be forced to
alter the Swiss version of its iOS6 program.

It also speaks to the fact that the company
likely didn’t want to deal with any reputational damages,
what with all of its patent cases it’s presently involved
in.

History of the clock

For the curious few out there, the clock was
designed in 1944 by Swiss engineer Hans Hilfiker. The unique design
features no numbers. Minutes are denoted by black lines and a red
second hand moves in a smooth motion around the clock before it
stops at the top of the minute for 1.5 seconds to allow trains to
leave promptly.

The Swiss hold the clock in high regard because
it’s a symbol of the famed Swiss punctuality. In fact,
the clock is often given out to foreign countries as a sign of
friendship.

Despite the settlement, the clock will remain
property of SBB, and can still be seen in all of the
operator’s stations. The only difference is that
it’s now legally being used on Apple’s iOS 6
devices. ■